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Graffiti and Fly-posting

Graffiti and fly-posting are not only unsightly nuisances but illegal too, and something that we are fighting against as part of our Don't Stand For It! campaign against enviro-crime.

Though responsibility for cleaning up graffiti and fly-posters varies, we take these crimes very seriously and will do our best to bring the culprits to book.

Find out below why these offences are such a problem and what we can do about them.

What are graffiti and fly-posting?

Graffiti is words or drawings that are written, painted, sprayed or scratched on surfaces such as walls, street signs, phone boxes etc.

Fly-posters can take the form of stickers, signs, posters or flyers and usually advertise or promote events. Like graffiti they can often be found on both public and private buildings, bus shelters, electricity boxes etc.

Graffiti and fly-posting create an unsightly mess that is sometimes offensive or discriminatory and is often difficult and expensive to remove.

Who will clean it up?

We will clean up Council owned buildings and street furniture (signs, benches etc.) usually within 3 weeks, and will try our best to remove it within 24 hours if it is grossly obscene.

Property owners are responsible for cleaning up graffiti and fly-posting on their own property, for example residential and businesses premises, garages, phone boxes, bus shelters etc. We can serve a notice on property owners to clean away graffiti or fly-posting within 28 days if necessary.

What can we do about it?

Graffiti and flyposting are both offences and the culprits could face a fixed penalty notice of £75 plus a further £75 for removal. In some cases we may take court action which could result in a fine of up to £2,500.

How to report graffiti and fly-posting

If you come across graffiti or fly-posting, or witness someone doing it, please report it to is as soon as possible. The sooner we find out and the more information you can give us, the more likely we are to catch those responsible and take action.

You can let us know about these problems by contacting our Clean and Green hotline (details below), by filling in our online report form below or via the Love Clean Streets phone 'App'.